The “A” Street Fight: Standing Up for San Diego Neighborhood Safety and Livability
The Complete Communities program allows the City to bypass thoughtfully developed community plans that guide growth, and skips critical fire safety, traffic, and environmental reviews by fast-tracking projects through a “ministerial review” process.
In Greater Golden Hill, three projects over eight stories tall were approved through this process before the community fully realized what was happening. When we learned of yet another high-rise tower being planned on A Street, we said enough.
On October 2, 2025, Preserve Greater Golden Hill filed the first lawsuit against the City of San Diego’s Complete Community Program.
Tracking of the PGGH Complete Community Case:
This timeline outlines the key steps in the case and provides a summary of each step, its outcome, and the current status of our community’s fundraising efforts (in parethesis).
Researched feasibility (completed)
Filed Writ of Mandate against the city (completed)
Won Temporary Restraining Order (completed)
Lost Preliminary Injunction in a split decision (completed)
De Novo Writ to Appellate Court (OPEN)
Permanent injunction trial (future)
See here for all court filings from the PGGH and City/Developer lawyers
Steps in the PGGH Complete Community Case
Feasibility study
Temporary Restraining Order
De Novo Writ
File Suit Against City
Preliminary Injunction
Permanent Injunction Trial
Help us fund the De Novo Writ to the Appellate Court
You can give a tax deductible donation through our secure Zeffy donation page.
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Make checks payable to Preserve Greater Golden Hill and mail to:
2801 B Street #2295, San Diego, CA 92102-2208
Details on History of the PGGH Case Against the City’s Complete
Three Complete Communities projects—the 8-story The Minn and a 12-story development at Fern & C Street—were already underway before our community fully realized what was happening. Indeed, shortly after the developers’ mandated community meeting in May, they demolished three historic Craftsman homes on A Street. These homes included affordable rentals, some with ADUs, and are to be replaced with a monolithic 8-story, 180-unit building offering only 4% affordable housing.
The Greater Golden Hill Community Plan allows a maximum of three stories on this site. This project would tower five stories higher—looming over a nearby elementary school and built directly on a key neighborhood evacuation route.
The Bigger Problem
The developer, like many across San Diego, is using the City’s “Complete Communities” program to bypass local height and density limits. This ministerial process also eliminates key reviews that protect community safety and quality of life. That means:
No fire safety study
No traffic plan
No Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
And no real chance for community input
In a neighborhood already facing 450+ new units in just ten blocks—along a narrow two-lane evacuation route through High Fire Risk Zones—this project isn’t just oversized, it’s unsafe.
A second critical and concern is affordability. This project does not create meaningful affordable housing—it only replaces the affordable housing it destroyed. An overwhelming 96% of the units will be market-rate, placing them far beyond the reach of most current residents. This will actively fuel gentrification, pushing out longtime families and permanently altering the fabric of our community.
Who Is Behind the “A” Street Project?
This project is led by CEDARst, a Chicago-based developer who is moving to San Diego because of its developer friendly environment. In partnership with Bridge Investment, they secured $40 million in equity capital—describing it as proof of the “strength and opportunity of the San Diego market.” To them, this is an investment opportunity. To us, it’s our community, our safety, and our future at stake.
Taking Action to Protect our Neighborhood…And Yours
This is the first lawsuit in the city to directly challenge a Complete Communities project—and we're taking a stand because this kind of unchecked development puts all of our neighborhood’s health, safety, and future at risk. Attorney Everett Delano is representing us.
Here’s why this matters:
This project illustrates the real and potential harms that the ministerial project approval process Complete Community has for communities. In the case of the A Street project, the project would:
build an 8-story tower directly in a flight path
Clog one of our limited evacuation routes in case of wildfire or other emergencies
It has already displaced our Latino neighbors and, at 96% at or above market rates, will offer luxury rentals that our residents and others who would like to live here cannot afford
The developer is permitted to avoid directly contributing to improvements to our neighborhood’s aging infrastructure—systems that are already strained and struggling to serve existing residents.
We’re not against housing—we’re against reckless, oversized development that ignores community input and safety. If this project had been in scale with our neighborhood, truly affordable, and safe, we wouldn’t be here.
We’re disappointed our City Council approved this project. But we’re not backing down.
Legal action isn’t cheap, and we’re raising funds to cover attorney fees and legal costs. This case effects all of us. If you can, please consider a donation to the PGGH Legal Fund—every dollar helps us push back against destructive, profit-driven development and fights for neighborhoods that works for all of us.
How You Can Help
This case has implications across San Diego. We need your support.
Donate to help fund our legal action (it’s tax deductable!)
Share this page with neighbors and friends
Fire Safety & the “A” Street Project
Fire safety is a growing concern for residents in Greater Golden Hill—especially with large-scale developments like the proposed 8-story A Street project. In this video, you’ll learn from local residents and experts about the risks these dense, oversized buildings pose in a neighborhood with narrow streets, limited access, and aging infrastructure. As the Deputy Chief Fire Marshal has already raised concerns, it's critical that new developments prioritize emergency access and community safety—not just developer profits.
